My BAM. Dusse-Alin, 1980—1982

Alexander Nevzorov

Somehow, scolding me on the parade ground before the whole system, the commander of the battalion said: “You, Nevzorov, then you’ll talk everywhere – I served in the BAM, I built BAM, I’m a hero. In fact, you slobber and g… And the medal “For the construction of BAM” you will not get. You are not worthy of it. Completely agree with him. Alexander Nevzorov.

My BAM

Dusse-Alin, 1980—1982

Alexander Nevzorov

© Alexander Nevzorov, 2018

ISBNВ 978-5-4490-3847-0

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Leningrad-Khabarovsk, seven hours ofВ summer or seven days byВ train. IВ did this way and so and so. From Khabarovsk toВ Chegdomyn, the secret capital ofВ the Eastern section ofВ the BAM, on the train for another day. InВ Chegdomyn was inВ 1980В the headquarters ofВ the First Corps ofВ Railway Troops, where IВ was sent after the institute for military service. IВ went toВ serve as an officer for two years.

Chegdomyn stands slightly apart from the BAM, it is aВ district center, aВ well-off mining town. Here there is no dry law, like at BAM, and here they go for vodka and wine. But alcohol here is ugly ofВ poor quality, even for that time. The corps inВ Chegdomyn manages the brigades ofВ the railway troops scattered around the BAM itself. IВ fell out aВ brigade with aВ dislocation inВ Urgal.

Today inВ Chegdomyn there will be dances

Dances ofВ the Yakuts and the Northerners

They get up there inВ aВ circle, they beat the ground with theirВ feet

And they sing something inВ aВ wild voice

They sing about severe frosts

About how water carries water carriers

About – — – — -, about long rubles

How people die ofВ longing

Urgal – a large (by the standards of BAM) junction. It connects the BAM and the Chegdomyn-Khabarovsk branch. Urgal consists entirely of wooden barracks, in the main, these are military buildings. The whole Eastern section of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) is built by soldiers of the railway troops. The western section of the BAM was mastered by the Komsomol members.

But IВ will not serve inВ Urgal. IВ will serve inВ aВ place called Dusse-Alin. There is aВ separate battalion zheldorvoysk. Dusse-Alin is known for being located at one ofВ the longest tunnels ofВ the BAM, its length is almost 2В kilometers. Actually, the battalion is also engaged inВ the tunnel, its restoration.

So, from Leningrad IВ flew toВ Khabarovsk. From Khabarovsk IВ came toВ Chegdomyn. From Chegdomyn IВ headed for the bus toВ Urgal. From there, take the train toВ Dusse-Alin. The case was inВ the summer ofВ 1980, inВ August. The smell ofВ burning was clearly heard inВ the air. The taiga was burning.

Taiga here burns every summer. This is explained simply, the climate on the BAM is continental. The sun shines all year round. Precipitation is only two months aВ year, aВ month inВ spring and aВ month inВ autumn. Summer heat, winter frost. And despite the relatively low latitude (51В degrees north latitude versus 60В degrees latitude ofВ Leningrad), here is the permafrost zone. Winter is difficult toВ survive. Frosts over 50В degrees, IВ personally testify about 54. One careless movement and you are frostbitten. Going toВ the toilet on the street (and others are not here), you manage, ofВ course, toВ unbutton your pants on your trousers. You will not be able toВ fasten it toВ you (on the street).

The train at the BAM (then called the “bichevoz”) went once a day, arriving in Dusse-Alin at night. I’m in a civilian, with a suitcase, got out of the car and went to the part, at the checkpoint (checkpoint). The whole of Dusse-Alin consisted of two parts, the territory of the military unit, located in the lowland and the officer town, located higher, across the road. At the checkpoint I was met by ensign Smal. Maybe now he reads these lines. Greetings to you, my first colleague!

At the checkpoint there is aВ small room with aВ bed, where IВ stopped for the night. And inВ the morning IВ went toВ the part, toВ be introduc